Former Blizzard President Says Closures Hurt Phil Spencer 'as Much as Anyone Else'

The former president of Blizzard Mike Ybarra in a statement on Twitter says Microsoft Gaming CEO is hurting just as much as anyone else following the closure of three studios under Bethesda - Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Studios. Roundhouse Games is also joining ZeniMax Online Studios.

[jambola]

Yeahhh I doubt it's hurting a millionaire as much as it's hurting fans and people who lost their jobs

[Cacabunga]

Damage control continues

[Christopher]

Phil Spencer right now https://media1.tenor.com/m/...

[VenomUK]

Mike Ybarra‘s defence of Phil Spencer is the dictionary definition of tone deaf. Even Alanah Pearce, who’s close to Aaron Greenberg and Phil called him out on it.

“Mike, I have a lot of fondness for Phil and don’t doubt he’s incredibly bummed about this, but CEOs can handle some “shots” amidst people having their lives destroyed. Your sympathetic posts should solely be directed at those who’ve lost their jobs.”

https://x.com/charalanahzar...

[GamerRN]

What makes you think these are Phil's decisions? This is likely coming from Microsoft, and not the Xbox division.

[Name Last Name]

Phil is the only guy in the industry that has plot armor.

[RNTody]

Hahahahahahaha! xD Legendary comment.

[lelo2play]

At this moment, even Xbox fanboys are starting to hate Microsoft. It's fu**up, after fu**up, after fu**up... that's the state of Microsoft gaming.
Purchasing developers left and right, then killing them off...

Phil was the worst thing that happend to Xbox. Might as well just shut down their gaming division and fu** off

[-Foxtrot]

Literally though

https://shorturl.at/dhQUW

[M3talDiamond]

So Phil is the real victim?

[Jingsing]

I can already hear Jim Ross.. He has a family damnit!

[Barlos]

Poor Phil. He must be crying into his bonus cheques. Makes your heart bleed doesn't it?

[MrDead]

I'm sure he'll be upset that those cheques contain a small percentage of money MS is still making from the closed studios games too. Next time someone purchases High-fi Rush or Evil within all that money is now just Microsofts, just think the former devs at Tango who made Hi-fi Rush MS's most highly acclaimed game in years will get nothing more.

MS are buying these publishers for the big IP's like Elder Scrolls and Call of Duty they have little interest in the ones that don't make huge profits... and firing thousands and closing studios looks good on the next quarterly shareholder report. Gotta protect the share price.

[Eonjay]

This is all coming from the executive who thinks we should have the option to tip devs... apparently so publishers can pay devs minimum wage. Will someone think of the C-suite executives!!!

[dumahim]

That was from a former Blizzard exec. Did Phil make a comment on that also?

edit: Oh, it wasn't Phil who said this himself.

[HyperMoused]

Gott alove the tought process on that...gentlemen we need think of more ways to get money out of these..gamers...wait..what if they just gave us their money..like for free.

[LucasRuinedChildhood]

Yeah, the guy making $10m a year is hurting as much as those who have lost their jobs and are worrying about their future and supporting their family. /s

It takes a real lack of shame to even try put the Good Guy Phil™ spin on this. It's not going to work this time.

[Profchaos]

He's sitting around feeling sorry when he should of been doing everything in his power to get people jobs in other studios you're telling me after toys for Bob split from Activision there wasn't a opening in the call of duty mines for arkane it's just woah is me.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Boo hoo

[CrimsonWing69]

My ass.

[anast]

Of course there is a possibility that he can feel, but because he has generational wealth no one is feeling for this guy. Game writers should be aware of this and find other things to write about. It's basic stuff.

[rlow1]

After the shock of the announcement yesterday I for one am not going to judge Phil on his personal feelings. But I really question him and his teams execution of their Xbox strategy. All these games that were going to be coming out, where are they? We’re over half way through this generation and for what? A console that doesn’t matter because Xbox game will be everywhere. The promise of all these aqusitions was that games from these studios would be dropping all the time. But that has yet to materialize. They do have some good promised games coming up. But the road to get here has been long and thirsty.

For those that want to hate a brand or a person, I’ll just say theirs enough hate in this world already. What I hate is not the individual but the decisions that have hurt a brand I have enjoyed in the past.

No matter what happens with Phil and crew I hope this is one hell of a wake up and if they do stick around. To give us games we were promised and allow studios to grow. To make the games they want and stop forcing live service crap on them.

[Skuletor]

"good promised games coming up" Until the games are released and playable I wouldn't say they're actually good or not yet.

[rlow1]

I’m going by the pedigree of the studios themselves. I don’t see them making a terrible game. Mediocre possibly, but I’m hoping they’ll land in the 8-10 crowd.

[ravens52]

What lmao. Fck outta here. If that's the case take a pay cut.

[MrDead]

They spent over $80 billion to fire workers and consolidate a huge part of the industry for their own gain.

Go F*** yourself Phil and MS

[boing1]

"Muahahahahahahahahahaha. .."
- Phil Spencer

[CrashMania]

The woody harrelson money meme comes to mind.

[Scissorman]

oh be quiet, you goblin.

[helicoptergirl]

I'm sure he's wiping his tears with his millions.

[Hofstaderman]

Getting papercuts and crying tears of blood drops...

[dumahim]

And that's the real reason he's hurting.

[Barlos]

No, they really don't hurt him at all. He still gets his fat salary and fat bonus. What do those that lost their jobs get? A fat fuck all is what they get. People like Phil Spencer can't relate to normal working people. He'll never understand the worry those that have lost their jobs will feel due to no longer having an income, yet still having to pay bills and put food on the table. If ever Phil was given the boot, he'd get a golden handshake and will walk into another senior position. No, he isn't hurting, and no he doesn't care.

[M3talDiamond]

You cant help but feel sorry for Phil so many people in the gaming industry are losing their jobs and he's only got $25 million in the bank poor guy.

[SPEAKxTHExTRUTH]

Funny how the people who get to keep their jobs claim they are hurting as much as the people who didn’t…

[GamingSinceForever]

Why couldn’t Phil have tweeted this himself?

[Chocoburger]

He's still trying to figure out how to power on his iPhone since Windows Phone died all those years ago. 🤣

[Redgrave]

Two south park jokes are relevant here, as I imagine Phil and co are doing both simultaneously.

The tech support "i bet that really pisses you off huh" nipple rubbing & the "I'm sorry" in various locations and with cute animals.

[senorfartcushion]

Ffs

[Futureshark]

Oh, poor Phil.

[RNTody]

Yes he's such a nice guy. The nicest suit who ever suited. Just the best damn gaming dude who wears gaming tees, not like those other corporates. The Philsopher of the modern era, subs before games, acquire before create. His feelings are so hurt and his tissues are so wet from tears at this totally unforseen consequence of needing to consolidate after splashing billions on devouring publishers and studios within and then being forced to start releasing multi platform to eat profits wherever possible.

[lelo2play]

Purchasing studios left and right, then killing them off...
What a major fu*kup by Microsoft!

[dumahim]

What a fuckwit. Of all the things that he could have said, this was not the thing he should have said.

[MIDGETonSTILTS17]

What a tone deaf response…. The award winning director of HiFi Rush is unemployed, and Phil thinks he’s hurting, too?

Phil would be the one unemployed over a year ago if HiFi Rush wasn’t timely available to help give Game Pass a much-needed good name as a supporter of innovation….

The irony is what hurts the most.

[Einhander1972]

I can't even put into words the amount of disgust I have with everything that these people have done and said.

[Futureshark]

Former Blizzard President Says Closures Hurt Phil Spencer 'as Much as Anyone Else'

Well obviously not quite as much as the poor people who've been sacked.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Press D for doubt there bud

[Notellin]

There is absolutely no way in hell this statement is true. Mike Ybarra and Phil Spencer are the biggest liars in the industry.

[Jigga69]

Poor Phil :-(

[DrDoomer]

He's the real victim in all this. He should start a GoFundMe.

[gold_drake]

girl is still getting his paycheck after all of this, so no, not hurting him

[Elda]

BS.

[RhinoGamer88]

If Phil was sorry, he and his C-suite cronies would not take a bonus and stock options this year and next. They will not of course.

[Tankbusta40]

I don't see closures, poor first party games or even lack of 1st party games affecting Phil or his paycheck. This idiot wants an xbox handheld next, instead of worrying about the games it will play. Guy has always been a joke.

[Skuletor]

Very true and I'm sure his bank account and upcoming yearly bonus will reflect that.

[shaenoide]

"AS MUCH" ? This sucker still has a job...

[Crows90]

What a load of crap. If it actually would cause him hurt then he would've avoided it.

What's going to bother him is the pr nightmare

[jznrpg]

Not like anyone else at all. Unless he gets fired and his money taken away down to employees levels he isn’t hurting anywhere close to anyone else involved in this situation

[Demetrius]

Have sympathy for a possible millionaire lmfao tf outta here, yeah right the mane tryna get xbox to crash&burn for real, didn't even let devs attempt to push the Xbox series x power, it's not even a weak console smh ridiculous

[redknight80]

I feel so incredibly bad for him...the poor guy...will he ever recover or will he have to settle for possibly having less than $10 million soon?!

[talocaca]

Yeah....probably got a rise for further cutting costs. I am sure he is mortified.

[DarXyde]

When high level employees of the federal government objected to the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza, they resigned.

When Boeing is cutting corners at the expense of people's lives, whistleblowers attempt to come forward (though both people have been killed before their testimonies).

When Nintendo was bleeding money badly during the Wii U era, Iwata and other high level execs cut their salaries.

The point being that people will act in a way that is congruent with their personal belief system when pushed to, regardless of the personal repercussions.

Running cover for Phil is absolutely insane to me. They're not increasing the cost of game pass out taking a pay cut to keep people employed. They're not selling off any of the studios from the publishers they bought. No, they're content with closing them and holding the IPs.

Stop the nonsense. He doesn't care. It doesn't hurt him. The worship and attempt to humanize the Spencers and Ryans of the world is just bizarre. If you're ever wondering how much an exec cares about you, ask yourself: when have the actions of any of these companies ever cut in a direction that hurts the company to protect labour?

[S2Killinit]

Reminds of Robin Hood cartoon where the tax collector tells the sickly old citizen that King John needs the money. Lol

[Terry_B]

yeah right....

[Dirty_Lemons]

These cretins man...